Happy National Senior Health And Fitness Day!!

There’s a lot to celebrate with more and more seniors dedicated to participating in physical exercise. But what do you do if a loved one suffers a physical setback?

This post is sponsored by BestNursingHomes.com. All opinions expressed are mine.

I’m not telling you anything new; you’ve heard it before: physical exercise benefits anyone at any age. Physical exercise helps control weight, combats health conditions and diseases, improves mood, boosts energy, promotes better sleep, is fun, and can even put spark back in your sex life! The sooner you start this habit, the longer you enjoy all these great benefits.

What motivates you to have daily physical exercise? I started exercising regularly in 1989 when my husband told me, “You aren’t always going to be thin, you know.” So, my initial motivation was to control weight. I’ve changed my physical exercise routines over the years because of new research and so I don’t get bored. I totally depend on the energy boosts I get to make it through the day. A couple of years ago, I joined a gym for the first time and that has added to the fun and social aspect of working out. As I am getting older, my motivation definitely has to do with combating health conditions and diseases that creep in with aging. I want to be around a long time to enjoy seeing my grandchildren grow up.

I intend to participate in some sort of daily physical exercise for the rest of my life, but chances are, I probably will reach some limitations. I see my older friends suffer heart attacks, broken bones, even dementia (my biggest fear) and I can’t help but think what would my family do if that happens to me and they can’t care for me at home? I know hospitals can’t keep patients for forever for long term care. Is there a middle ground between hospital and home care should I reach the point of limited physical abilities?

There actually is such a place. It’s called a “post-acute” care center, also known as a “nursing home.” Now, when I used to think of nursing home, I immediately thought of those facilities that I went to as a teenager to sing Christmas carols during the holidays. They were drab, smelly, and filled with lethargic old people. I couldn’t wait to leave. But what I’m learning now is that there are really good ones out there—rehabilitative centers that look and feel more like hotels than hospitals and give more personalized therapy and attention than a hospital.

How do you begin to find such a place? Welcome BestNursingHomes.com, an online site provided free to the public by the Association of Skilled Nursing Providers, due to the leadership of John Sorensen. Says Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Association for Skilled Nursing Providers, “John is a leader in the post-acute care industry, a generous philanthropist, and a great example of someone who places serving the patient above anything else. We are proud to be associated with John and North American Health Care and grateful for his support to promote best practices in skilled nursing.”

BestNursingHomes.com only lists five-star nursing homes and rehabilitation centers rated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Anything on the list has been pre-approved by Medicare as one of the top in the country.

What else sets this site apart?

There’s no annoying sales center. Best Nursing Homes is run by a nonprofit organization whose public mission is to make people aware of the good places to go. It’s a free list.

You don’t have to enter any personal information. No one is going to contact you when you search the site.

You can contact the nursing homes directly. If you see an option that you like, simply call the facility or send an email using the contact form.

You can see what the center looks like. For the facilities that have chosen upgraded listings, you can take a virtual tour of the building with slideshow photos and videos.

You can review what others’ experiences were like. Best Nursing Homes uses proprietary software to get real reviews from real residents and family members. And they’re authentic—there’s no gaming from competitors or advertisers.

I plan on celebrating National Senior Health and Fitness Day for a long time!! But when limitations come, it’s good to know I can trust BestNursingHomes.com to find a quality rehabilitative center to get me back in shape.

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About Caryn

Hi. I'm Caryn, your Mid Life Guru -- an authentic and trusted mid-life voice sharing the wisdom I've gained in my first 50 years and adding to it new, relevant, and exciting information to get through the next 50.